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Leon narrowed his eyes. “I’m not sure I understand the difference.”
William sighed. “After all these years, I’m not sure I do either.”
“Farlon chose me because he knew I’d do anything to win this for us.” Leon leaned forward and put his hand on the desk. “Because he knew I’d do anything for him.”
William tilted his head and narrowed his eyes shrewdly. “How old were you when Farlon found you?”
Leon kept his face guarded. “Eight. Why?”
“Because he was a damn good commander and a damn good speaker.” William tapped his forefinger over a whirl in the wood. “But I’m not so sure he’d have been a damn good father.”
Leon’s hand on the desk clenched into a fist. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
A swift series of knocks echoed in the room before William could reply. William opened his mouth, but before he could even tell the knocker to enter, Sebastian threw open the door and strode in. He stopped in the center of the room and crossed his arms.
“Leon. Come on. It’s time to go.”
Leon hesitated for a moment—thrown by Sebastian closed-off, aggressive posture and the waves of tension rolling off him.
“Now.” Sebastian’s snapped to him and then back to his father. “We don’t really have a lot of time. There’s a war going on.”
“Of course.” William stood gracefully and extended a hand to Leon. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Hess.”
Leon debated with himself for a moment, then decided he’d prefer William Ralsdi as an uneasy acquaintance than an enemy. He shook his hand. “And you, Mr. Ralsdi.”
“I’ve got our packs waiting next to the tunnel.” Sebastian pointed with his chin back out into the hall. Then he unslung a small bag he’d had around his shoulder and tossed it to Leon. “Here are some clothes and boots. They should fit enough. I’ll wait outside. Dad?”
Sebastian waited until William nodded, and they both went out into the hall, leaving Leon alone in the office. Leon opened the bag and changed out of the old, thin pajamas and into the sturdy, well-fitting enough clothes he found in the bag. Had he been the one to turn Sebastian tense and snapping? Was this Sebastian’s reaction to his ill-thought-out confession?
Leon laced up his boots with a sigh. He’d have thought by now that he’d be used to failing at everything, but he still felt the shame of the inadequacy twist in his chest every time. He braced himself and stepped back out into the hall to find Sebastian leaning against the wall in front of him, arms crossed and a deep frown creasing his face.
Sebastian looked up as he opened the door and stared at him for a second, eyes narrowed and assessing. Then Sebastian suddenly straightened off the wall, and Leon started. He fought the urge to step back as Sebastian advanced on him.
But once he got to him, Sebastian ran a hand gently up Leon’s jaw. He didn’t tug Leon toward him but instead slid himself close and slotted their mouths together. The tension groaned out of Leon, and his arms came up around Sebastian’s waist.
Sebastian hummed back and brought his other hand up to cup Leon’s jaw. He held Leon’s face as he kissed him, first gentle and chaste, then deep and desperate, then back again.
Leon followed him, holding him tight and letting him do whatever he wanted, kissing him back however he wanted.
He hadn’t known he’d ever get to kiss Sebastian again. He still didn’t know if he’d get to kiss Sebastian again, but he’d greedily take whatever he was given. And he’d give what Sebastian asked of him in this.
When Sebastian pulled back, Leon leaned after him and barely managed to lock his bereaved sound behind his teeth.
“We have to get going,” Sebastian murmured, though his eyes stayed on Leon’s mouth.
Leon licked his lips and saw Sebastian take a breath. “Yeah.”
After a beat, Sebastian tore his gaze away and looked back down the hall, but Leon’s heart jumped when he reached out and took his hand. Sebastian laced their fingers together and drew him down the corridor. “We got in touch with Martha while you were sleeping. They’re hiding out in the old hospital.”
Leon’s mind struggled for a few moments to comprehend Sebastian’s warm grip on his hand—the last time Sebastian had held his hand, Leon had been chemically terrified out of his mind—and Sebastian’s urgent and professional tone. Eventually, he delineated and ordered the pieces of his mind enough to respond. “Is that close to here?”
“Not very close, but not too far,” Sebastian said. “If we leave now and go through the tunnels, we should be there before nightfall.”
They closed in on the drawing-room door, and Leon glanced down at their clasped hands. Was Sebastian’s family in there? And was Sebastian going to keep holding his hand in full view—
Leon got his answer when they arrived at the door and Sebastian lifted his chin, tightened his grip, and pulled Leon into the room with him. Sarah, Alice, and William Ralsdi all stood in the room, and they all dropped their eyes down to Leon’s and Sebastian’s clasped hands with masked looks. Leon couldn’t read their expressions, but whatever Sebastian saw made his hand twitch in Leon’s. So Leon firmed his grip as well and pulled back his shoulders.
Leon had no idea what message Sebastian was trying to send, but he’d back him up whatever it was.
